A Comprehensive Food Guide to Oahu Hawaii

As a second honeymoon, my wife and I took a trip to the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Considering that it was January, we wanted to go somewhere warm, but that was also a completely different experience for us. After much evaluation we settled on the farthest U.S. state from the Northeast. Neither of us had ever been there, so in addition to offering up some warmth in the winter, we got to experience something new. I didn’t know much about Hawaii other than what I saw on TV such as leis, luaus, ukuleles, the fact that the islands are stunning (I still wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the place), and that there is a local love of all things Spam.

Before even leaving for Hawaii, I quickly started doing my research into the restaurants. A few hours later and many revisions during the trip, I created an online map of every place I wanted to try that spanned across the entire island. Despite my lofty goals and a rental car with great gas mileage, my wife and I could not physically try every single place due to time, but more importantly, stomach capacity. Nonetheless, we did our best and this post includes the best of the best of what we ate in Hawaii. Surprisingly enough, almost everyone we knew told us that everything in Hawaii is crazy expensive (and some things are definitely unreasonable), but the vast majority of the restaurants included here provided amazing meals at reasonable prices.

Beachside Kitchen 2556 Lemon Rd Honolulu, HI 96815Note: Not the best breakfast, but it’s so cheap and fast, that it can be worth it for a quick bite.

Beachside Kitchen

The Grill

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese

Spam, Egg, and Cheese

Thang II French Coffee and Smoothies 1287 Kalani St Honolulu, HI 96817 (Kalihi)Note: Best coffee we had in Hawaii. Strong coffee balanced with sweetness and you must try it with boba (tapioca pearls).

Thang II

Iced Coffee with Boba

Blended Iced Coffee

Authentic Hawaiian Food______________________________________

Ono Hawaiian Foods726 Kapahulu Avenue Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 737-2275Note: My friend (a local) recommended this place to us for our first experience with Hawaiian Food. It was fantastic. A must visit.

Ono Hawaiian Foods

Poi!

Kalua Pork

Laulau Pork

Laulau Pork Interior

“Beef Jerky”

Haupia

Helena’s Hawaiian Food1240 North School Street Honolulu, HI 96817 (808) 845-8044Note: I discovered this restaurant from famous food shows, but they couldn’t capture how wonderful the food turned out. Another must visit.

Helena’s Hawaiian Food

Famous Visitors

Amazing Meal

Poi – Taro

Luau Squid

Ahi Tuna Poke

Laulau Pork

Tripe Stew

Food Truck______________________________________

Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck56-505 Kamehameha Highway Kahuku Hawaii, 96731Note: It’s a truck, but it’s permanently parked. There is covered seating, a simple menu, and a sink to wash up after. The food was really good, but be ready for an incredible amount of garlic if you try the scampi.

Giovanni’s Truck

Dining Area

Simple Menu

Shrimp Scampi

Macaroni Salad

Sink Salvation

Asian and Asian-Inspired Food______________________________________

The Pig and The Lady83 North King Street Honolulu, HI 96817 (808) 585-8255Note: Vietnamese fusion food that delivers on traditional flavors with a twist.

The Pig & The Lady

Pig Jowl Lettuce Wraps

House Pho

Horchata and Shrub

Opal Thai66-197 Kamehameha Highway Haleiwa, HI 96712 (808) 637-7950Note: A truly unique dining experience where the owner asks you questions about your favorite Thai foods and then creates a custom meal for you. If you’re adventurous enough to trust someone else to order for you, then you’ll have a great time here!

Opal Thai Food

The Owner

Cool Water

Pork Lettuce Wraps

Shrimp Pad See Ew

Chicken Curry

Sushi Bay590 Farrington Highway Kapolei, HI 96707 (808) 693-9922Note: The sushi is so good and so ridiculously affordable that I’m still having trouble wrapping my mind around this place. Cheap, delicious, filling, and features a conveyor belt. What more could you want? Eat what you like, but you absolutely must get the mini-mix don ahi tuna bowl.

Sushi Bay

Conveyor Belt

Vegetable Tempura

Shrimp Tempura

Unagi / Eel

Sake / Salmon

Tako / Octopus

Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl

Side Street Inn614 Kapahulu Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815Note: My friend who lives in Hawaii met up with us and took us to this restaurant. The Asian-inspired dishes really captured the best qualities of Korean cuisine. The Li Hing Margarita is a uniquely Hawaiian flavor with a sweet and tangy quality.

Side Street In

Garlic Fries

Kimchi Fried Rice

BBQ Pork Ribs

Pan Seared Pork Chops

Li Hing Margarita

Miscellaneous World Food______________________________________

Bills Sydney280 Beach Walk Honolulu, HI 96815 (808) 922-1500Note: We enjoyed Bills, but it wasn’t our favorite place to eat overall. Nonetheless, it was a great find for quality and somewhat affordable dining in the tourist infested Waikiki Beach area.

Bills Sydney

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ahi Tuna Poke

Brownie Sundae

The Olive Tree Cafe4614 Kilauea Avenue Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 737-0303Note: After almost a week of trying different foods, my Greek wife wanted to go back to her roots and try this Greek restaurant out. The food was very well done and the flavors were excellent. The food quantity isn’t much considering the price and ordering for dining in is a bit of a disaster, but overall a good experience.

Note: If you can get to the North Shore then make sure to make a stop here for a sweet snack. Decadent pudding-style pies and fantastic pastries.

Ted’s Bakery

Chocolate Haupia Pie

4 Flavors per Bite!

Macadamia Cream Pie

Tradition

Glazer Outside

Glazer Inside

Leonard’s Bakery933 Kapahulu Avenue Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 737-5591Note: Good luck finding parking here because Leonard’s is always jammed full of people. The soft doughnut-like malasadas are that good. I recommend Haupia filled and the sugar with cinnamon flavors.

Leonard’s Bakery

Always Crowded

Malasadas

Honolulu Cookie Company[Many Locations] 2552 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu, HI 96815Note: At first glance, these cookies don’t look like they are anything special, but the truth is that they taste ridiculously good. The best part is that in all of the many store locations, there are free samples!

Free Samples

Chocolate Macadamia

Zippy’s and Napoleon’s Bakery601 Kapahulu Avenue (808) 733-3725Note: An insider tip from my friend who lives on the island showed us the late night treasures that await in Napoleon’s fast food style bakery in Zippy’s.

Napoleon’s Bakery

Bear Claw

Chocolate Dobash

Cherry Napple

Best Shave Ice______________________________________

Uncle Clay’s House of Pure AlohaAina Haina Shopping Center 820 West Hind Drive #11 Honolulu, HI 96821 (808) 373-5111Note: This is the BEST shave ice on the island. Seriously. Not an exaggeration. It’s a little out of the way and in a strip mall, but you must go here to try the natural homemade syrups over the most delicate shave ice ever. Keep an eye out for Uncle Clay himself. He’s so personable that he chatted with my wife and I for 20 minutes as well as gave us each no less than three hugs before we left.

HOPA

Guava Mango

Guava Pineapple

Uncle Clay Himself!

Matsumoto’s Shave Ice66-087 Kamehameha Highway Haleiwa, HI 96712 (808) 637-4827Note: Amazing shave ice on the North Shore in one of our favorite towns, Haleiwa. Second only to Uncle Clay’s, Matsumoto delivers tons of flavor options and a more traditional style of shave ice in a cone.

Matsumoto Shave Ice

Menu

Blueberry Lemonade

Rainbow

Farmers’ Market______________________________________

KCC Farmers’ MarketKapiolani Community College 4303 Diamond Head Road Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 260-4440Note: My friend called this farmers’ market “a must experience” and he was right.